Real R&B Fans Can’t Get Over How Good Leon Thomas’ “Tiny Desk Concert” Was

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Leon Thomas’ much anticipated “Tiny Desk Concert” is here at last, and it’s safe to say he lived up to all of R&B fans’ expectations. On Thursday (Feb. 20), the singer and producer treated NPR’s office to a medley featuring tracks from MUTT.

Opening the set, Thomas put his best vocals forward with “VIBES DON’T LIE,” which unsurprisingly earned a round of applause from the room. “This has to be the most lit office of all time. I’m f**king with y’all,” he said before segueing into “YES IT IS” and “MUTT.”

From there, the artist took it back just a tad bit with “Breaking Point” and “Treasure In The Hills,” two of the better songs from his debut album, 2023’s Electric Dusk. Take a look below.

Rightfully so, Thomas’ live performance was met with plenty of praise online. On Twitter, one fan called it a gift “for us older Gen Z’s”: “If you grew up watching ‘The Backyardigans,’ ‘August Rush,’ and ‘Victorious,’ then you know Leon’s mic has been on, and he can play!”

Another user argued that the singer-songwriter put an end to the “R&B is dead” debate: “It’s just not on the radio.” The only real complaint — if you can even call it that — was that his 19-minute set wasn’t nearly long enough, especially considering how much MUTT has to offer. “I need the extended version,” one person said.

MUTT, which narrowly missed out on claiming the No. 1 spot in Rap-Up’s Best R&B Albums of 2024 list, arrived with gems like “I DO,” “FEELINGS ON SILENT,” and “LUCID DREAMS.” Thomas also gave us some of the better R&B collaborations of the year with the Baby Rose-assisted “I USED TO” and “FAR FETCHED” featuring Ty Dolla Sign. Additional contributions came from Masego, Wale, Axlfolie, and Freddie Gibbs, who appeared on a remix of the LP’s title track.

“What I really love about a lot of these records is that the majority of the features were done with the artist in the room,” Thomas told ESSENCE of the collaborative genius behind it all. “It wasn’t our A&Rs trying to put us together or our labels trying to find a really good fit to get more exposure. It was two artists coming together and telling a really cool story.”